Sac r.7XII. Of Effeílrtdlcàlliñg. 647 cavil, and argue againti thyDuty ? But hear what the Scripture faith , Tremble under what God doth requireof thee, thouart fare the neglet of çhefe Du- ties will be unto thee an evident tokenofperdition. Neitherdo the Orthodox affert fnchanAbfolateDecree as dothoppofe ordered means, bút Conditions fufpended upon the uncertainwill of man. We fee theScripturepofitively al ferting Inch anElet4ion of God before the foundations of the. world : we fee it alto as pofitive and peremptory incommands for theufe ofthe means. There- fore thefe two thingsmay Eland together : Let not then thedifficulty of recon- ciling themmakethee deny either ; and ifupon prayer and Rudy thou canfl nor pitch ona way for their concord ( for feveral learned men differ herein, fome goingone way, fome another) do then rather fubmit thy underftanding, then prefumptuoufly deny the truth, as thoudoeft in thé matter oldie Trinity ; and this counfel,about apoint very near ir',not all one with this,dothCajetanthe fúá- til Schoolman give. And thus much forExplication r The ground why of many called, few are Signs that chofen,à priori, is, as you heard, Godswill, Who doihh in Heaven andEarth what but Env sr, fa- pleafeth him. Paulin theninth acheRomans bath fo fully determined this,that 9et. its awonder any havehad thefore-head to rife up and dilpute againfl it ; We rather are to admire themercy of God, that afew are chofen, gather then tò di- fpute why not more, or all. The Church in ber temporal afflilbon did blefl`e God for the remnant that was faved ; and we are much more topraifeGod for any that areeletied to eternal life. And then the ground à Pafleriori, orwhich is rather a Ego that few are fa. ved, may be evidencedby confidering the livesofthole that are called,Viewthee and judgeby the Scripture, andyoumull then concludefew are chofen. For out of the number ofthofe thatarecalled outwardly, Take Firit, All ignorant Perfusa ; and then you remove a great number. That no groffely ignorant perfon, living anddying fo, ischofen, appeareth plainly,.Êe- canfe Godwouldhave men come to the knowledge of the truth, and fo to be faced, aTim.a.4. And converfion is an enlightning ofthe minde; its the giving of a man afpi ritual undedtanding;They are apeople ofno underllanding,therfore he that made themWill not law them, lia.a3.rr. So then, we are tobid alfignorant people; Standyouby, you arenot ofthe chofenones by anyoutward 6gn,Asyet you are in a damnable condition : Oh pray that Godwould open your blinde eyes ! Secondly, From Chore that are called, Takeaway the propbane andungodly ran in his life, and themthe numberïcfl llleff`e and lejfe. Are not the ignorant and the prophape men thegreater part of called perfons ? Butnowif any manbe a yid-. ous and ungodly perfon, hemuffalto hand aloof Off:, Here areno Lagos of thy Eleltion, asyet ; yea there are the Plague-tokens for theprefent of Gods eter- naldifpleafure. Thirdly, There is a third fort tobe taken away , and that is, Of thofe indeed *ha liAea civil and unblameablelife, un(pettedfromall forme and Wirkedneffe, but yet have never' felt Within themfelves the mighty power of God renewing theft natures. What a fmall number by this timewill that of the chofen perlons be, when thofe that live in a fair and ingenuous way, but never tatted the good wordof God upontheir hearts, are alto bid to depart, here is no comfort for them. Daftly, Yet once more take away all thofe, Whohave thecannon gifts and graces of GM: Spirit, who havefome inwardworkings of illumination, and joy, and for- row in their hearts ; but yet becaufe they do not dig deep enough, and wane -. root, are therefore carried no furtherthen hypocrites and reprobates: Such there are, and oneSaviour doth often give his Difcíples warning, left they go no further thenchefe. Now thinput all thefetogether, The Ignorant perfon, The Prophane,The Civil,and the TemporaryBeliever,and take thereft,and 'you will fay, Oh how few arechofen I ),/e
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=